Nothing to Fear
by griZzlyAngel
Summary: He was the Master of Fear. He was The Scarecrow. She, well, she was just the opposite. She was the Queen of Cowards. How two complete dissimilar people could find peace in one another was beyond the both of them... J.C./OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, sup, everybody? Now, before you read, I'd just like to note that this a bit of an experiment. Due to recent viewings of BB, I've found myself immensely captivated by Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka. Scarecrow. Not only with his gorgeous looks alone, but also with his character. So, with this in mind, I wanted to create a fic about him.

Now, I'm new to the whole 'Batman' thing, and have only ever watched the movies and some of the animated series, but no comics. Ever. So, if I screw anything up with Scarecrow and his background, please forgive me! I'm basing him off of the BB version, and not the cartoon, or comics, so I sort of made up a lot of junk, such as his homelife as a teenager. However, I will try my best to keep everything in order as much as I possibly can, okay?

I absolutely _ADORE _reviews! Whether they be just one-worded, completely positive, or kind constructive criticism, but I canNOT tolerate flamers! They are useless and discouraging. Miserable people who have no lives usually write these. So, please, don't be one of these cold-hearted people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Scarecrow, Batman, or anything else related to that universe. Except for my OCs of course, heh.

Chapter 1

---

He should have known his mother was having over a guest. She should have told him. Otherwise, he would have surely went through the back door. But he didn't. Frustrated, angry, defeated, he stomped up the front porch steps, not noticing the unfamiliar green Toyota parked in the driveway, and yanked the door open. Before he could even think of stopping himself, he had walked right in on his mother and her guest. They were sitting at the kitchen table, which was visible from the front door, drinking coffee. The guest, a large woman, had her back to him. His mother, who _was_ facing him, frowned, and the woman turned to look. He realized then that there was also a girl with them, around his own age by what he could tell. She looked at him, hazel eyes open and curious. She was very pretty. Then it hit him. She was the same girl from earlier that day. That new girl, who had accidentally knocked into him in the hallway at school.

"Jonathan, what on earth happened?"

The young boy gulped, tearing his eyes away from the girl's to look at his concerned mother. He briefly glanced down at himself, suddenly embarrassed by his horrid appearance. His blue and white striped shirt was torn in three places, revealing bruised and battered skin, his jeans scuffed, bottom lip swollen and bleeding, his oversized spectacles askew.

"Um, I, I tripped…"

He knew it was a terribly lame explanation, but he wasn't about to recount his perilous journey home from school in front of some attractive girl.

"You _tripped?" _his mother's brow rose with skepticism.

Jonathan nodded. "Yes."

He wished the other two, particularly the younger one, would stop gawking at him, as if he were some sort of exotic creature.

Sighing, his mother broke the awkward silence with an introduction.

"Tina, Cassie, this is my son, Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Tina, an old friend of mine, and her daughter, Cassie."

"How are you, Jonathan?" Tina, the large woman, smiled kindly at the boy.

"Fine, thank you." he shifted to lean on his right foot, feeling more and more uncomfortable.

"Hi." the girl, Cassie, gave him a timid wave of her fingers, the corner of her mouth twitching.

Jonathan locked eyes with her, biting his lip. Without responding, he kicked off his sneakers, dropped his backpack, and made for the stairs around the corner as fast as he could. Reaching the stairs, the boy climbed two steps then halted, panting. It figured that his mother was friends with _her _mother. What were they doing in his house, anyway? Inhaling and exhaling, he perked up his ears to listen to what they would say about him. He knew it would be nothing good. It never was.

"_I'm sorry about that, Cassie. He's, um, well, he's shy_." he heard his mother say.

"_It's okay."_

"_Is he alright, Sarah? He looked terrible!"_

"_He's looked worse, Tina, believe me." _

"_Bullies?"_

There was a pause, and then his mother answered in a quiet voice.

"_Yes."_

"_Why don't you report them to the principal? I know if Cassie was coming home looking like _that, _I'd be _all _over those people and parents!"_

"_I've tried. They said they'll help him, but so far, it's only gotten worse. A week ago he came home with a broken nose-" _

That was it. He'd had enough. With a sigh, he continued up the stairs to his bedroom. It was amazing how mothers could find such dull subjects so engaging. So he got a little beat up? So what? He wasn't the only one. There were plenty of other kids at his school who got worse things done to them than he. As he made his way down the hallway, he saw that the door to his bedroom was ajar. His mother must have done some scouting while he was gone; a futile activity, as he always kept it neat and tidy.

Entering his room, Jonathan yanked off his ruined clothes, and threw them to the floor. He then left out of his room, grabbed a towel, and headed for the bathroom. Closing and locking the door behind him, the boy turned on the faucet for the shower. He shut the curtain, so as not to let any water escape onto the white, tiled floor, then set his towel and washcloth down on the sink. Lifting his head, he was caught by piercing blue eyes in the mirror over the sink. He straightened and took off his glasses, as did the lanky, dark-haired boy in the mirror. Staring back at his reflection, Jonathan grew rather irritated. Why was it that people condemned those who may not be the most appealing, but worshiped the ones that were _beautiful? _He had more brains than the whole student body put together, and yet, he was treated like dirt. Something was drastically wrong with that picture. Shouldn't he be praised? After all, he doubted that Harry Banner or any of the other players on the football team were going to be a doctor or senator one day.

He folded and set his glasses on a dry hand towel laid out over the sink, then stepped into the inviting, warm shower. Exhaling, he let the water roll over him, washing away all of the grime and blood he'd received from his unfriendly encounter with the boys at school. He hated being dirty. Cleanliness made him feel better. More confident. When he was dirty, he was reminded of just how little power he held in his hands. He couldn't stop those boys from attacking him. Not only was he physically incapable of taking down any of them, but he was only one person against _six. _It bothered him, angered him, knowing that even though he had all of this knowledge and brains, Harry just needed a fist to make people respect him.

* * *

It was an hour or two later, whilst absorbed in the pages of his copy of _The Catcher in the Rye, _that a light knock sounded on his bedroom door. Jonathan looked up.

"Jonathan?" came his mother's muffled voice from the other side.

"Come in." he called.

The door creaked open, and Sarah walked in. Spotting the book in his hands, her smile faltered. Even though she had swiftly recovered, Jonathan had seen the flicker of disappointment come over her face. His mother often pestered him, sometimes begging him to take a break and go outside. However, he could care less about taking a break. In fact, this to him was a break. A break from the world, and all of its fools. This was his time to relax and just be himself without being persecuted for it.

"Reading, huh?" she came and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Mhm." he wasn't looking at her, but rather the interior of his book.

Silence settled between them. Sarah, watching her only son and child sitting there all alone, with nothing but a novel as his companion, began to feel truly sorry for him. How she wished he had more friends to spend time with. He needed it.

Ever since his father had died, he'd become terribly distant and disengaged from everyone, including her.

She let her eyes fall from him to her lap, sighing.

"So, those boys harassed you again?"

Out of her peripheral vision she could see his stoic features momentarily give way to what appeared as discomfort, or something of the like. She knew he hated talking about this, but she had to. It was her duty as the mother.

When he didn't respond, she persisted.

"Jonathan?"

"Yes." he murmured, raising his book higher to shield his face from her.

"Mmm." she furrowed her brow. "I'm going to have to talk with your principal tomorrow. This is getting ridiculous. You should never have to go through this. Ever."

She glanced over at him, slightly annoyed that he was still hiding behind that book. He had shut her out now. The conversation was not complying with his taste. So she would just have to change the topic at hand to one of more… _interest _to him.

"You know, my friend Tina's daughter will be staying with us for a few weeks or so."

He lowered his book, and frowned at her, incredulous. Sarah smiled inwardly, rejoicing in the fact that she'd got a reaction out of him.

"Why?"

"Because, Tina is going away on a business trip for that time, and she has no one else to look over her." she explained simply.

"She can't take care of herself?" he looked shocked.

"Well, I'm sure she can, but, Tina just wants to make sure she's safe. She _is_ a mother after all, Jonathan."

"Why does she have to stay with us?"

"I already told you, she has no one else. Besides, she's new to Elmwood. It'll give you a chance to maybe… Become _acquainted._"

"You mean she seriously has no other living relatives left in the world?" he arched an eyebrow with an air of skepticism, deflecting the last bit of her sentence, closing and laying his book down on the bed beside him.

"Well, yes, Jonathan, but they are all out of state."

"And Tina can't drop her off with one of them?"

"No, Jonathan."

"Why?" he repeated dully.

Sarah had had it. She stood from the bed, and turned on him.

"Stop it, Jonathan! You know as well as I do that she can't miss nearly a _month_ of school! Especially since she _just _started there. She's staying with us, and that is final."

Having said her peace, she pivoted and stomped out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a snap. Jonathan stared at the spot she'd been sitting a moment before, still trying to process the news she had delivered. That girl, that, that pretty red-haired girl was going to be staying _here? _With _him? _

Wonderful. Just what he needed. Some newbie _prep _to prance around him. It would be like taking school home with him. The worst part of school _besides _the jocks, mind. To top it all off, his mother wanted him to become friends with her. He would not have been surprised if she had planned out the whole thing just for that prospect alone.

Well, she was in for a surprise, because he was most certainly not going to be friends with _her. _No way.

Huffing, Jonathan picked up his book and set it atop his bedside table, along with his glasses, then reached to turn out the light. He gave his pillow two punches before settling into them with a tired sigh. Gradually, his eyelids began to fall, darkening his vision as sleep took over. Within a few seconds, he was lost in slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First off, I'd just like to say thanks to my first three reviews of this story, by, _Madness is me,_ _Mrs. Depp_ and_ LunaticaDaliz__. _They made me very happy! Also, thanks goes out to those of you who have favorited, alerted, or simply read this story. This chapter introduces my OC a lot more. Hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Jonathan Crane, Gotham, or anything else related, besides my own characters, of course.

Chapter 2

---

"Cassie! You almost ready?"

"Yes, Mom! Give me a few more seconds!"

_More like a few more years._

It was Sunday, which meant tomorrow would be Monday, which in turn meant that her mother would be departing on a plane for New York City, the result being that she, Cassie, would be dumped with Mrs. Crane and her son. Cassie understood that her mother and Mrs. Crane had been best friends growing up, so they knew each other very well; but that didn't mean she'd feel any more comfortable around her. To her, these people were utter strangers. And the thought of staying with utter strangers for nearly a month frightened Cassie to no end. It was not a secret that she was ridiculously shy and timid. Her whole family, and what little friends she did have, knew this. She was nothing like her mother in that respect. Tina, her mother, was probably the loudest mouthed person that Cassie had ever met in her entire life. She was bossy, determined, unafraid. She said what was on her mind without the slightest bit of consideration for others.

Cassie sometimes envied this trait of her mother's. She hated always being looked at as the _quiet _one, or _sweet _one. Why couldn't people just look at her differently for once?

Turning from her full-to-bursting suitcase on her unmade bed, she retrieved the pineapple-scented deodorant from a shelf inside her untidy closet, and stuffed it away with the other contents of the suitcase. Double-checking for the necessary items, she closed and zipped up the suitcase. With a grunt, she hoisted it from the bed and carried it out of her bedroom, making sure, of course, to turn off the light before leaving.

The drive to the Cranes' house was excruciating - well at least for Cassie anyway. Even with her mother rambling on about her new boyfriend, and the radio blasting with some 80's song that Cassie didn't recognize, all the poor girl could think about was the next three weeks of hell ahead of her. Trying hard to calm her nerves, Cassie forced herself to focus on the world outside the car. The sky was gray, which was to be expected in the first week of October, and the wind was so strong that it kept pushing their little Toyota towards the opposing lane. The leaves on many of the trees were nearing their peak of colors, while some had already been shed completely. Almost every house they passed had some sort of seasonal decoration too, whether it be a simple, smiling scarecrow, or an entire array of gore that looked as if it had come straight out of a horror film.

Those particular set-ups Cassie did not care for.

A moment or so later, when the car began to slow and turn onto yet another street, Cassie pulled her eyes away from the window and looked at the car's radio. The time read 3:54 p.m. She mentally flinched, looking down at her hands gripping her purse. Again the car slowed, but this time it wasn't another street they were turning on.

This was the end of the road.

"Alright, here we are." her mother pressed her foot on the brake, twisting her neck to look at her daughter with a weary expression.

"Yeah." Cassie reached over a shaky hand to unbuckle her seat belt.

"You don't have anything in the trunk, do you?"

"No. It-it's all in the back seat."

Cassie exited the car, closing the door behind her, then opened up the rear right back door and grabbed her suitcase. Shutting the door, she walked around the front of the car, waving goodbye to her mother, who nodded back with a half-hearted smile. She knew her mother loved her dearly, although she rarely expressed it openly to her. Otherwise, she would have just left her alone at home, which scared Cassie almost more than staying with the Cranes. After all, with all the crime here in Gotham, it would not be surprising if someone tried to break in. And, with Cassie's rotten luck, they'd choose to do so just while her mother was gone. So, in a way, she should have been counting her blessings right about now. Mrs. Crane had seemed like a nice woman at least, though her son was a bit odd. Cassie had only seen him a few times at school and once at his house. He was rather reclusive by what she had observed, and only talked to a few select people. A chatty, brunette, Shelby, who'd come to tag Cassie as a friend, or rather, an easy shoulder to cry on, called him stuck-up because he was number one on the honors list and perhaps the smartest kid in the whole school. Cassie respected him in that light, for she herself was an honor student, but she saw no reason for him to be stuck-up. Cassie couldn't fully take Shelby's word on that, however. If he was shy, just as his mother had said, then that was most likely the main reason of his introverted behavior. She also had to remember his bully issues. Stuff like that did no help to the confidence of people like she and he. So judging him would just have to wait until she got to know him better.

Struggling up the porch steps with the heavy load in her left hand, Cassie waddled up to the front door and knocked lightly. Her ears picked up the sound of car wheels moving, and she looked over her shoulder and saw that her mother was backing out of the driveway. She gave a last wave to her, then within a few seconds the car was down the street and around the corner. Cassie started when the door popped open and found that it was none other than Jonathan Crane who'd answered. His icy blue eyes grew wide when he saw her. Cassie swallowed thickly, averting her own darker, hazel ones.

_Well, you can't just stand here and stare at your feet, Cassie! Say something!_

"Urm!" her head snapped back up, an awkward smile planted on her face. "Hi."

He gave her a look, something mixed between uncertainty and agitation, then licked his full lips.

"Hi."

Cassie involuntarily shivered, tiny goose bumps crawling over her skin. His voice was unexpected. It was so mature, and did not match his body at all. He was short, she noticed at that moment. Shorter than her, and terribly thin. His raven locks were cropped short, and light acne graced his forehead and cheeks. The thick-framed spectacles he wore were far too big for him, and caused his already large eyes to appear larger, giving him a _bug-eyed _impression. Too bad too, as they were his best attribute.

As she was fully scrutinizing the rest of his features, she did not stop to think that he might have been doing the same to her.

Jonathan had only got to look at her a couple of times beforehand at a distance, and those times had been fleeting. He was up close to her now, and he could see that even though she was pretty, she was, by no means, perfect. Standing at least four inches taller than himself, Cassie was one gangly girl. In fact, Jonathan was shocked that such knobby knees could afford enough strength to keep her standing. He suspected that she considered her outfit to be trendy, when in all actuality, it came off to be quite goofy, with her bell-bottom jeans, red and orange polka dot shirt, white sneakers with printed purple butterflies on them, and a green derby cap. Her red hair hung limp about her bony shoulders, and a trail of freckles crossed the bridge of her nose to each cheek. Seeing the painful, fake smile on her face made him want to laugh out loud, but he held it in. He knew what she was thinking. He was a geek. A nerd.

Little did _she _know, that she was only a step or two behind him.

"Um, could I…?" she made to go forward.

"Oh, of course." Jonathan moved aside for her.

He watched in amusement her pick up the huge suitcase and lug it into the house with difficulty, her stick legs shaking under the excess weight. He didn't bother offering to help her. She made it this far, what was the difference now?

"Uff!" she dropped it on the floor near the door, breathing heavily. "What a load."

Jonathan smirked, closing and locking the front door. He turned back to face her, but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was intently studying her fingernails. Jonathan lowered his brow at her. Was she just going to stand there and say nothing? It was rude, though perfectly fine by him. He would prefer if they avoided each other. With no comment that he wished to waste on her, Jonathan brushed past her and headed back upstairs to his bedroom, from whence he came. Cassie, seeing him leave, jumped around, holding her hands together.

"Where is m-my room?" she called after him feebly, anxiety evident in her voice.

Half-way up the stairs, Jonathan halted on the fifth step, sighing inwardly.

"Up here."

There was silence, then he could hear her padding across the dining room. He looked down under his arm at her when she got to the stairs. She goggled back up at him, her mouth hanging open.

"Up there?" she sounded distressed.

Jonathan nodded. "Mhm."

"Oh…"

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's just…" she seemed embarrassed to continue. "I don't think I can carry the suitcase all the way up."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

Cassie fiddled with a strand of her hair. "That's it."

He gave her a false pitying look. "I'm sorry."

Shrugging in a careless fashion, he climbed the remaining steps. Cassie just gaped up at where he had been standing. So much for assistance from the host. Of course, she doubted he could lift the suitcase more than an inch off of the floor, let alone up a staircase.

After she had completed the feat on her own, Cassie laid the suitcase on the floor in the hallway, and tentatively peeked inside the first room on her right. It was small, containing only a twin-sized bed, bookcase, and desk with a lamp and a computer. The color theme of the room was blue, including the carpeting.

"Ew." Cassie disliked the color.

She assumed this was the guest room she'd be staying in for the time, so she proceeded to drag her suitcase in. Shutting the door, she went to turn on the lamp. It was surprisingly bright for its size. She knelt next to her suitcase, unzipped it and began to unpack. By the time she was done adjusting her temporary bedroom, the sky outside the window had become very dark. She took a glimpse at the clock on the wall diagonal from the bed. The big hand rested on the five, while the little hand rested in between the six and seven.

"I've been here for over an hour."

Cassie wondered where Mrs. Crane was. She was not brave enough to go and ask Jonathan, so she stayed put in her room, pondering. While she pondered, Cassie walked over to the bookcase and absentmindedly fingered through it. Most, if not all of the books she was familiar with, although she had not read the majority of them. Cassie loved to read, but her mother favored that the money they had be spent on other things, like clothing and electronics. She possessed only five novels, all of which were gifts to her from past birthdays and Christmases, and, when she could, borrowed her English teacher's books. No longer having the same teacher, Cassie was stumped.

Still pondering, her fingers came to a stop on the worn spine of one of her particular favorites, _Wuthering Heights. _Cassie had only had the chance to read the classic once, so it was awfully tempting to have it sit there in front of her.

As she was about to pull it out, the sudden sound of the doorbell chime downstairs made her jump.

"Jonathan! Jonathan, I'm home!"

Sarah hung up her jacket, and slipped off her tennis shoes. Locking up the door, she carried the pile of paper bags filled with groceries into the kitchen. She sat them down on the island and immediately commenced rummaging through them.

"Jonathan! We have groceries! I need help!" she shouted again, withdrawing a half of gallon of skim milk from one of the bags.

There came a creak from the stairs, and she knew that he was coming down. Not a moment later, and he rounded the corner. Sarah smiled at him, taking out a pack of chocolate pudding from another bag.

"Hey! Come over here and give me a hand."

"She's here." Jonathan started to unload the rest of the bags for her.

Sarah opened the refrigerator and put away the milk and orange juice.

"Huh?"

"Your friend's daughter."

"Ahem."

Both he and his mother looked around. Cassie stood in the doorframe leading to the kitchen, looking more than a little lost.

"Cassie! When did you get here?" Sarah beamed, handing two boxes of cereal to Jonathan.

"Ah, about an hour ago." Cassie took a step, feeling a whole lot more at ease with Mrs. Crane.

"Really? Did Jonathan show you your room?"

Cassie's eyes flitted to Jonathan, then back to his mother, and she nodded.

Sarah seemed pleased by this, her smile widening.

"Good. Say, Cassie, are you hungry? I'm going to be making some baked mac'n'cheese for Jonathan and I for dinner."

Cassie's mouth instantly began to water at the very thought of such a delicious meal. She could never turn down the offer of food, that was for sure.

"Yeah. That sounds great."

* * *

The dinner turned out to be superb. Cassie had honestly never tasted such rich, good macaroni and cheese before in her life. She was a tad bit jealous that Jonathan got to enjoy amazing cooking like this everyday, while _she_ was stuck with hideous frozen food. Mrs. Crane was kinder than she had originally thought, as well. She didn't mind her reading or borrowing any of her books, and even was generous enough to allow access to her computer for playing games. Cassie was thrilled by this.

Perhaps her stay here wouldn't be _so _bad…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello all! I'm updating earlier than I had planned, but I'm sure you guys won't mind, ha, ha. Anywho, shout outs to _LunaticaDaliz, Heart of Friendship, IdleThreats, Madness is me, Mrs. Depp, _and _Erik'sTrueMuse. _Thank you guys so much for reviewing! It makes me smile. And thanks to all of you who have favorited, alerted, and read this story so far!

Disclaimer: I don't own Jonathan Crane, Gotham, or anything related, except for Cassie, and all the other OCs. They are mine. Hence the name OC. Heh…

Chapter 3

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A whole two weeks had passed, and Cassie was stunned to say that she was becoming quite comfortable staying with the Cranes. Though, she really had to owe this to Mrs. Crane's fabulous cooking skills. Cassie was very much hooked to it now, and would dearly miss it when she had to return home with her mother.

However, Mrs. Crane could not only cook good, but she was also one of the sweetest people Cassie had ever met. She loved talking to Cassie, something her own mother hardly did. Discovering that Cassie had not so many books of her own, she was kind enough to let her keep _Wuthering Heights. _And whenever she went shopping, she would take Cassie with her. In fact, just the other day, she had bought Cassie a beautiful, black skirt. Cassie had thanked her more times than she could count for that one.

Her son, on the other hand, was not so warm. He wasn't as bad as he had initially appeared; he just didn't seem to like her, is all. Cassie couldn't understand why. What had she done to him? She was always polite, always generous with him. She never took more than ten minutes in the bathroom, and tried to stay out of his way as much as possible. But a feat like that was near impossible when you were living and going to the same school together. He didn't ride the bus, for obvious reasons, so she would have to walk with him to school and back everyday. Cassie had been nervous walking with him at first. So far, they'd gotten lucky and hadn't had any run ins with Harry and his crew, but she was still very leery. At school, the two almost completely dispelled each other, until fourth period that is. In fourth period art class, Cassie was alone, as Shelby did not have that hour with her. The only time she had somebody was when she was forced to hook up with a partner for some project or other. That partner always happened to be Jonathan Crane. Through the last two weeks, Cassie had come to find that Jonathan was rather mediocre in art, unlike herself. This irked Jonathan. Sure, he was getting an A, but only because _she _was helping him along. He was not accustomed to being aided by another student. The worst part of it was, that in having to live with her, he felt automatically obliged to return the favor by tutoring her with her math homework. Cassie was more than thankful for this, and was constantly expressing it to him.

Although Jonathan did not openly show it, he was indeed proud for being so gifted in the area. Never before had he tutored someone, so it was a strangely invigorating feeling that he got when he taught Cassie. Perhaps it was because his intelligence was finally coming to good use for once. Or perhaps it had to do with the fact it was a girl that he was teaching. She was the damsel in distress, and she _needed _him. Just him, and no one else. Jonathan couldn't begin to describe how good it felt to be needed by a female of his age. He would never dream of telling her, though.

Rather he liked it or not, Jonathan Crane was becoming somewhat fond of the skinny redhead. She was not at all how he had first imagined her to be. She was quiet, humble, courteous, and fairly bright. Of course, this didn't mean he wanted to be friends with her. Not just yet, anyway. He wanted to see how she would treat him once she was done staying with them. For now, she had no choice but to be nice to him.

"I don't know why you're being such a jerk towards her. She's _real _sweet, Jon. She's nothing like the other girls. Heck, she _complimented _me! No girl, besides my grandmother, has ever done that before."

Jonathan ignored the person closest to what one would call a friend, Richard, his sharp, blue eyes lidded as he stared unblinking at the lay out of the cafeteria before him. It was lunchtime, and the hall was booming with the resounding laughter and various conversations of the students. He hated the racket. Trying to block out the deafening roar, he swallowed his mashed potatoes, then responded to Richard in a low tone.

"That's what you said about Bethany. Now look where she's at." he pointed his fork over to the far wall of the cafeteria where a group of chatty girls were seated.

Richard's eyes followed the direction of his fork, and he sighed, defeated.

"Bethany's a bitch, that's true. But not Cassie. I think she's genuine, Jon, I really do."

"Only because you've developed a mindless crush on her."

"So what? She's hot!" the blond boy exclaimed thoughtlessly. "Which is what is mind-boggling about the whole thing. Here you have this one chance in a lifetime opportunity of having a living, breathing girl stay at _your _house, who of which you can claim before any other guy, and you're here practically blowing her off! What is _wrong _with you, Dude?!"

Jonathan cut a slice off of his meatloaf, not looking at his friend.

"Nothing. I just have not the slightest interest in her. She's too tall, too thin, blushes _way _too much-"

"And she's coming this way!"

"What?" Jonathan's head snapped up.

Sure enough, there was Cassie, her high-placed ponytail sweeping from side to side behind her as she strode over to their table, lunch tray in hand. Jonathan narrowed his eyes at her. _What was she up to?_

"H-hey, guys. M-mind if I, uh, sit with you?" she asked in a soft, bashful way, stopping in front of their table.

Richard took up on that offer straight away.

"Sure!" he flashed her a huge grin, revealing a set of shining, silver braces.

"Okay." she looked relieved.

Setting her tray down, Cassie took a seat across from Jonathan, and next to Richard. Jonathan was a little peeved to see the amorous boy scoot a smidge closer to her.

"So, how ya doing, Cas?" Richard inquired in what he assumed was a smooth way.

Cassie shrugged, stirring some butter into her mashed potatoes.

"Good, I guess. How about you, Richard?"

"I am great." he gripped the table ledge, smiling stupidly at her.

Cassie gave a fake chuckle, then looked up at Jonathan timidly.

"H-how are you… Jonathan?"

Jonathan gave her a mild look, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a nonsensical question, as we wake up every day together. It should not be a problem knowing whether I am well or poor."

Cassie bit her bottom lip, her cheeks turning a dark red.

"I-I, well, it's j-just you n-never really t-tell me-I w-was only w-wondering-I-I'm sorry."

She hung her head so that he couldn't see her face or eyes properly, going back to stirring her food sadly. Richard sighed through his nose, and Jonathan switched his hard gaze to him instead of the red-haired girl. The blond boy was frowning at him, shaking his head. Jonathan, however, was not fazed, and continued with his degradation of Cassie.

"Is there any particular reason you came to sit here? I'm sure your _friend _will be missing you sorely."

Cassie shook her head, still keeping it low.

"No. I, well, I-I just thought I'd do something d-different today. And if you are referring to Shelby, don't worry. She won't miss me. She…" she inhaled, then exhaled shakily. "She found someone better than me."

Jonathan's condescending stare morphed swiftly into a frigid glare.

"That makes sense." he started rather heatedly. "She dumps you, and you presume that you'll find sanctuary at the _loser's table."_

"Jon!" Richard gasped, wide-eyed.

Jonathan didn't hear him, though. All of his senses were focused on Cassie at that moment.

"Well, you won't." he went on, cold as ice. "Now leave."

"I-I didn't c-come over h-here b-because I h-had no one else to s-sit w-with. I c-came over here because I w-wanted t-to. Shelby d-dumped me b-because of this." Cassie explained quietly, her voice thick with tears.

Sniffling, she stood abruptly, swiped up her tray, and fled away from their table, leaving Jonathan staring after her, befuddled. Had he been reading her entirely wrong this whole time? Had she truly chosen to come and sit with them of her own accord? She hadn't _seriously _lost Shelby over _this, _had she?

"Nice going, _Jon." _Richard's sarcastic voice brought him out of his confused thoughts.

"Huh?"

"God, do you realize that you totally just made a girl _cry?" _Richard hissed at him, leaning across the table.

As soon as the bell had rung, Jonathan was speeding towards his fourth hour with all haste. He was fortunate enough to have slipped past Harry Banner without being harmed, so that gave him some assurance. For Jonathan was going to need to be in tip top psychological condition if he were going to speak to Cassie. He still wasn't sure what he was going to say to her, though. Obviously an apology was in order, but then what? He was sure that there was more to apologizing to a girl than he was aware of.

Bringing himself up to his full height, Jonathan stepped into the cheery, colorful art classroom. His blue eyes scanned the already assembled heads of students until they came to rest on the lonely, red one in the corner. He was a bit unsettled to see her head down on the desk, and not doodling happily as she usually did prior to every class.

Summoning all of the courage and humility he could muster within himself, Jonathan approached her.

_This was going to be difficult._

"Ahem, Cassandra?" he announced his presence to her.

Cassie's body, he noticed, went rigid. Slowly, she brought her head up from the desk to look at him. Jonathan's heart took a dip when he saw that her face was wet and flushed from crying. Her hazel eyes turned to slits as she glowered up at him, though he could see a hint of unease breaking through.

"W-what do you w-want, Jonathan?"

Jonathan had to bite back a snicker. Even after the way he had treated her, she still wasn't able to conduct her full fury on him. He could not help but be amused by the fear he had unbeknownst instilled in her.

"I realize that my assumptions were inaccurate, and I have come to tell you that I-" he took a breath and licked his lips. "I am… _sorry."_

_There. He said it. Could life go on now, please?_

Cassie sniffed, her scowl easing up. She seemed unsure. Suspicious.

"Well, alright." she replied after a few moments of hesitation. "I, I guess I forgive you?"

_She guesses?_

An awkward pause ensued between them. Cassie was watching him with cautious curiosity, an aura of expectancy about her; but, Jonathan didn't know what else to say. He knew this was going to happen. Now how was he going to get out of it?

"Erm." he shifted his weight to his left foot, looking everywhere else but at her.

Cassie was in awe. This was the first time she had witnessed dispassionate Jonathan Crane act so… _human._ She wasn't sure of how to put it, but the way he stood and how he seemed to be at a lost for words, it was sort of cute.

Suddenly feeling a lot more confident than she ever had around the callous boy, Cassie spoke, breaking the silence.

"Do you want to sit with me?"

Jonathan was taken off guard by her blunt invitation. His eyes found hers, and he wish they hadn't. There was no way possible that he could refuse now. At least, not without being a total asshole. However, by doing this-sitting with her, that is- he was essentially agreeing to befriend her. Was he sure that he wanted to take that risk? The potential risk of humiliation if she were ever to cast him aside for another? It's happened to him once before, and Jonathan was not ready to go through the experience again anytime soon. But, what if perchance Richard was right? What if Cassie _was _different? What if she genuinely wanted to be his friend? Jonathan couldn't see how she would. He was a nerd. An outcast. A jerk. She was too nice of a person to care for the likes of him. Yet, she did. It was all so puzzling to Jonathan.

He wasn't one to depend on chance, because chance never steered him right. Something about Cassie, though, made him consider. He wanted to try, he really did.

Would Cassie let him down? If her words and actions were anything to go by, then no. Absolutely not. He supposed that there was only one thing for him to do at this point.

_Here goes nothing…_

"Yeah." he nodded his head, pulling over a chair.

Cassie was taken aback. Was he _serious? _

He must have been, for he had sat down next to her, and was now searching through his backpack for a pencil and paper. Cassie couldn't contain her smile, so she turned her face away from him, so as not to let him see. She didn't know why she was so overjoyed, she just was. Throughout the hour, the two exchanged no more than two words with each other, Cassie absorbed in her own work, while Jonathan was still very much preoccupied by his inner conflictions towards the girl. When the bell rang, he sprung up without warning, startling Cassie.

"Are you okay?" she queried in a soft voice, eyeing him.

"Yes." he threw his backpack over his shoulders, rapidly making for the door.

* * *

Two more hours later, and the last bell calling for the end of the day rang. Cassie waited until the majority of her health class had dispersed out the door before collecting her homework and backpack, rising from her seat, and leaving as well. The halls were thankfully clear for the most part, only containing a few teachers and some stray members of after school clubs. On her way to the front entry doors of the high school, Cassie's eye caught something. Slowing her pace, she walked up to one of the many bulletin boards that lined the school's hallways, and read one of the advertisements. It was an activity that she hardly, if not ever did, because there was never anything that captured her interest. Usually during holidays the student council would often stick up programs for different festivals or events to go to, as was the case now.

_Haunted Corn Maze!_

_Experience all the chills and thrills of Halloween in this maze of terror! Located off of B-13, at Dawson's Ranch. Open Mondays throughs Fridays, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Adults, $3.50 a ticket, children, 10 and under, $1.00 a ticket. _

Cassie reread the paper a few times over. She was not a huge Halloween fan, but she did love corn mazes. When Cassie was young, and when her father was not yet gone, he and her mother would always take her through at least one maze before the season was out. The last time they did this was over five years ago. Her mother did not like to do much of anything anymore since the divorce.

The current situation with the Cranes though, presented an oppotunity to reestablish the tradition. That is, if he were willing.

"Cas!"

The sudden call of her name made Cassie jump around, hand on her heart. Richard was coming towards her, grinning brightly.

"Oh, hey, Richard." she recomposed herself, putting on what she hoped was a friendly, welcoming smile.

"Hey, thought you would have left by now with Jon?" he came to stop in front of her.

"I got a bit caught up reading the bulletin board, but I'm leaving now."

"What were you reading?" he looked up at the board over her head.

"Um, some Halloween stuff-"

"The haunted corn maze?" he cut across her, watching her a little too closely.

Cassie hesitated, then sighed and gave a nod.

"Cool." he scratched the back of his neck, a sure sign of nerves. "Are you going?"

"Me? Well, I don't know, I was thinking of asking Jonathan, but, I doubt he'll want to."

"Maybe _we_ could go together."

Cassie was not prepared for that.

"We?" she echoed him, afraid.

"Yeah. I mean, if you want to…"

_No, I really don't want to at all._

It wasn't that she didn't care for Richard, she just didn't feel comfortable with him. He liked her, she knew, and that made her cringe. However weird this might sound, she felt much more secure around Jonathan, and that definitely was saying something.

"Erm, sure." she edged away somewhat. "But, if Jonathan wants to, he can come with us, okay?"

Richard looked disheartened by this, his grin falling.

"Uh, yeah, sure, okay. That's, uh, that's fine."

"Good. Great." Cassie started down the hallway again, giving him a little wave. "Um, bye, Richard."

"Yeah, bye, Cassie." he waved back, though not too enthusiastically.

She understood his disappintment, but there was nothing Cassie could do. She couldn't possibly reciprocate his feelings, so why lead him on? No, that was wrong. He'd just have to deal with it. What mattered the most at this moment was convincing Jonathan Crane to tag along.


End file.
